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Lib Dem party conference

Lib Dem leadership 'happy' with regional pay vote

Sources close to the Liberal Democrat leadership are making it clear they're happy with the outcome of the regional pay vote, even though it potentially puts ministers in conflict with coalition colleagues and even though it marks a reversal from previous comments by at least one senior figure.

You can read more about the vote here and there's more background here. Welsh Lib Dems, who were behind it, had invested a great deal of time and effort in winning over senior figures like Nick Clegg and particularly Danny Alexander, who'd previously said he was 'keen' on the idea of regional pay.

I gather he wasn't present for the vote but those close to the leadership say 'everyone' is happy with the outcome and underline what Nick Clegg said to me about needing 'overwhelming evidence' that change would benefit the whole country. In other words, I'm told, there's not a chance it'll happen.